COA rules weapons search that revealed drugs constitutional
An Allen County drug possession trial will proceed with evidence obtained from a pat-down search after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined the search was constitutional.
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Northern District Bankruptcy Court to transition to NextGen CM/ECF
In a few short months, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Indiana will upgrade its current case management and electronic filing system to the next generation of CM/ECF.
Same-sex birth certificate case stalls at 7th Circuit, putting families in limbo
Both Jackie Phillips-Stackman and her wife, Lisa, carry copies of their daughter’s birth certificate with them wherever they go as they wait for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to issue an opinion that they fear could upend their family.
Holcomb signs hate crimes measure into law
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed legislation Wednesday aimed at getting Indiana off a list of five states without a hate crimes law, saying that the state has “made progress and taken a strong stand against targeted violence.”
AG Hill: Argument for ethics hearing panel ‘fatally flawed’
The briefing battle between Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill and the Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission has continued this week, with Hill arguing in new court filings that the commission’s attempts to convince the Supreme Court to proceed with the case consist of bootstrapping, red herrings and fatal flaws.
COA reverses civil ruling for alleged drunken driver
The victim of an alleged drunken driving accident will have the opportunity to seek punitive damages after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined summary judgment for the allegedly drunken driver was not appropriate.
Howard County magistrate, other judicial aid bills advance
A bill requesting an additional magistrate judge to handle an increasing number of cases filed in Howard County was approved by the full Senate on Monday. That bill now joins several other counties’ similar requests for judicial help making their way to the governor’s desk.
Indiana Senate OKs second-trimester abortion procedure ban
The Indiana Senate has approved legislation that would largely ban a common second-trimester abortion procedure — a proposal that if signed into law by Gov. Eric Holcomb faces a certain challenge in federal court.
COA upholds trial court’s denial of motion to waive juvenile murder delinquent to adult court
The Indiana Court of Appeals declined to reverse a trial court’s decision not to waive a juvenile murder case to adult court after it concluded there was sufficient evidence to support the decision.
Majority justices reverse probation violation for judge’s inconsistent statements
A probation violation will be removed from a convicted sex offender’s record after a divided Indiana Supreme Court determined a trial judge’s inconsistent statements meant there was insufficient evidence to support a finding of a probation violation.
Indiana Judicial Conference seeking comments on proposed changes to child support guidelines
Proposed revisions to Indiana’s Child Support Guidelines, which are used to make decisions about child support in all actions for child support including divorces, legal separations, paternity cases and Title IV-D proceedings, have been posted for public comment, with feedback requested by noon on May 17.
Request for study of court costs receives initial Senate approval
Questions regarding certain Indiana court costs might be addressed this summer if a study committee is approved to look into the issue in the coming months. Senate Resolution 52 requests that the Legislative Council assign the topics of court costs for indigent individuals and the look-back period for prior unrelated convictions in Indiana's criminal code to a summer study committee.
Civil remedy revenge porn bill passes House
Hoosiers hurting from the aftermath of a revenge porn incident are closer to gaining some relief from their perpetrators now that a bill that would offer them civil remedies has passed both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly. Measures that would make committing revenge porn a crime, however, look less likely to succeed.
COA hears arguments in teacher defamation suit against Elkhart newspaper
An Indiana Court of Appeals panel was asked to consider whether a reporter’s use of the word “incompetent” to describe a former Elkhart teacher’s termination was defamatory language – and ultimately whether a newspaper had the right to publish a story using the contested word.
Terre Haute inmate awarded damages for excessive force
An inmate at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute was awarded $2,000 in damages after he won his excessive force lawsuit, with the Southern Indiana District Court finding the “lack of institutional evidence of the incident was exacerbated by the (Bureau of Prisons’) treatment of (the inmate’s) sensitive grievance.”
2 death row inmates make similar requests, get different results
Death row inmates Patrick Murphy and Domineque Ray each turned to courts recently with pleas to stop their executions if their desired spiritual advisers couldn't accompany them into the execution chamber. The Supreme Court allowed Ray’s execution to go forward, but gave Murphy a temporary reprieve Thursday night.
Indiana Court Decisions — March 13-27, 2019
Read Indiana appellate court opinions for the most recent reporting period.
Canadian man facing drug charges seeks passport’s return
A Canadian man who allegedly had 127 pounds of cocaine hidden inside his vehicle wants northwestern Indiana authorities to return his passport. A Porter County judge ordered Hobart police Monday to return all of Denis Mesumb’s belongings, except for his Canadian passport, and set a Wednesday hearing to consider its release.
Princeton officer faces misconduct charge after drugs allegedly tossed
Authorities say a southwestern Indiana police officer allowed a drug trafficking suspect to discard a bag of heroin before being taken to a police station. Illinois State Police say 28-year-old Princeton Officer Brandt George is free on bond after being charged with official misconduct.
7th Circuit case highlights confusion over online home value ‘Zestimates’
The 7th Circuit both rejected proposed class action lawsuit against the website Zillow, but Realtors and real estate attorneys still have concerns about whether its “Zestimates” are unnecessarily misleading. Zillow, however, insists its estimation practices are transparent and legal, thus making their home valuations a beneficial tool for buyers and sellers.